Cole Palmer to Miss England Matches Due to Injury

Cole Palmer, the Chelsea forward, is reportedly set to withdraw from England's squad for the forthcoming Nations League matches due to a minor injury. The 24-year-old had recently been recalled to the national team by manager Thomas Tuchel, a move that followed his controversial omission from the squad for the World Cup.

Tuchel had previously stated that Palmer had "a point to prove" and needed "to step up" to secure his place. However, the forward will now be unavailable for the international break, during which England is scheduled to play four games. Their fixtures include matches against World Cup winners Spain at Wembley on September 26, followed by away games against the Czech Republic on September 29 and Croatia on October 3, before hosting the Czech Republic again on October 6.

Palmer's withdrawal comes after he played the entirety of Chelsea's 3-0 defeat at Brentford on Friday. Following a summer break after not being selected for the World Cup, Palmer has featured in six of Chelsea's seven games this season, completing the full 90 minutes in five of those matches. He has scored four goals and provided two assists during this period. In the 2025-26 season, Palmer experienced a recurring groin issue, which his former Chelsea manager, Enzo Maresca, had commented on. Palmer's last appearance for England was in a 1-0 friendly loss to Japan in March.